Greenwashing

Let's talk about sustainability. At its core, it is about doing what we can to slow the depletion of natural resources. How we do this varies by use case. We could redesign a product to use less steel or switch to renewable resources like wood. We can work on the problem via the supply chain, sourcing material closer to home so it requires less fuel to reach us. We could embrace circularity, designing a product that is intended to be recycled so its components can be reused. Beyond product design, we might redefine the production process to use less electricity or water. There are many possible actions, each doing its part to address what can sometimes seem like an overwhelming problem.

Knowing what we could or should do and doing it are very different things, however. Many companies have found it easier to talk about embracing sustainability than they have setting and meeting targets that affect outcomes. Some call this "greenwashing"; misleading consumers to believe that a product is environmentally friendly or has a more positive (or less negative) environmental impact than it, in fact, has.

Greenwashing is becoming less defensible as more customers demand to know what goes into the products they buy. They want to know that their provider is actively working to reduce their carbon footprint. And in some parts of the world, regulators are getting involved to force reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, waste creation, and many other metrics. Investors are also paying attention, with some choosing to support only companies that make (and stick to) green pledges.